Composition for blasting-powder.



PATENT i ntros.

GEORGE BENEKE, OF SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND.

COMPOSITION FOR BLA STlNG-POWDER.-

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,842, dated October16, 1900.

Application filed January 31, 1899 n'erial No. 704,015. (No, specimens.)

specially-prepared carbon carrier, as hereinafter described, wherebygreatly-improved" efiects are obtained. The substances chiefly used inthe manufacture of the said blasting. powders are nitrate of soda orothbr nitrates, with or without nitrate of potash and sulfur, togetherwith. a specially-prepared carbon carrier, as hereinafter described.

The main part'of this invention consists in the special treatment of thecarbon carrier,

which can be made from one or more of the following: asphaltum, pitch,resin, lac, varnish, oils, naphthalene, anthracene, 'phenanthrone, allkinds of wax, and the like. In carrying out my preliminary treatment ofthe carbon carrierl make use of an oxidizing agent withor withoutadditional carbon, such as charcoal, coke, or the like.

The special treatment of the carbon carrier has the additional advantageof diminishing the dangerous sensibility and frequent unstableness. ofthe oxidizing agents, and my invention renders them comparatively safeagainst friction and percussion, while at the sane time this treatmentlargely prevents crystallizingout and consequent danger of explosionfrom a variety of causes. This aotion of rendering the oxidizing agentmore stable is independent of the, added carbon.

In my experiments on flame-reducing substances and nitrate-of-ammoniumcompounds I have used melted resin'for the purpose of waterproofing theflame-reducing salts; but I have now discovered that I can use themelted resin (and other substances above indicated) for the purpose ofrendering the oxidizing agent more stable, and I am enabled v by mydiscovery to make safe and reliable explosives from nitrate of soda andnitrate of potash and other nitrates.

Variousexplosives have been invented from time to time, consistingprincipally of saltthen be proceeded with.

peter or nitrate of soda, sulfur, and other ingredients simultaneouslyadmixed with a plastic substance, which will bind the powder togetherinto a hard mass under pressure. These explosives, however, have thisvery scrious defect that their temperature of ignithis serious defect isremedied under the following process of manufacture:

Example: Inorder to carryout my invention, I first'proceed" to make aspecially-prepared carrier of carbon. By way of example I melt (byheating) or dissolve (by means of a suitable solvent) from ten tosixteen parts ofpitch or resin or other suitable carbon carrier until itisin a fluid state and stir into it one to two and ione-half parts offinely-powdered bichromate of potash and about five parts offinely-powdered charcoal or other finely-powdered carbon. The mixture isconstantly stirred until the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed. Themixture is then cooled or dried and ground to an extremely-fine powder,or the. mixture maybe used in a fluid or viscous state, as-may be foundmost convenient. The incorporation of the oxidizing agent and charcoalor other finel'y powdered carbon into the carbon carrier is of verygreat importance and renders the mixture more easily combustible and notso inert;, but, as before explained, the added carbon has little or noeffect in rendering the oxidizing agent stable. To about eighteen totwenty-three parts of this powder or liquid mass I add sixty-five toseventy parts of dry and finely powdered nitrate of soda and mix themwell together and then add five to ten parts of nitrate of potash andten to twelve parts of sul-- fur previously ground together into a finepowder. The mixing of the ingredients and subsequent pressing of thepowder should Before pressing the powder should be heated to atemperature which will slightly soften the carbon carrier,

or it may be pressed cold, a.ccording to the carbon carrier selected. Itis then-gran ulated.

in lieu of nitrate-0f soda and -sulfu'r,'es above described in order toform explosive niixtu res capable of being employed in blastingoperations.

The specially-prepared carbon carrier in addition to renderingtheoxidizing agent more stable" also insures the better ignition anddetonation of the -explosive compounds herein referred to, of which itforms aninv gredient. v

What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters'Patent, is- 1. As a, newarticle of manufacture for use as an ingredient in the subsequentmanufacture-of nit-rate, explosives thc carbon carrier composed ofresin,a chromium oxidizing agent and carbon, all incorporated coherentlytogether as and for the purposes set forth.

' 2. As a new article'oi' manufacture for use as ah ingredient in thesubsequent manufacture of nitrate explosives, Hie carbon carriercomposed of iento sixteen. parts resin, one to two'and one-half partschromium oxidizing agent and five parts carbon all incorporatedcoherently together, as and for the purposes set forth. i

In witness ivhereofl have hereunto signed my name-in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. i

y e oReE ENEnE.

Witnesses: I v 1 l I WM. G. MURRAY, S. MOCREADY.

